IKON
Indian entrepreneur Pramod Bhasin, who opened India’s first call center in the late 1990s, had an idea: why not leverage English-speaking Indians to handle customer calls for US businesses at a fraction of the cost of domestic services? In 1998, Mr. Bhasin established India’s first call center with just 18 employees working in an office where booths were divided by saris hanging from the ceiling.
Today, while India faces strong competition from countries like the Philippines, its call center industry remains vast and employs hundreds of thousands of Indians.
What is the Job all about?
Companies in the West have discovered that outsourcing certain operational tasks to companies in Asia is both cost-effective and efficient. Outsourcing, particularly in areas like customer service, travel, and ticketing, can lead to significant savings.
Historically, airlines hired sales assistants in their own countries, who would earn around £1,000 per month (approximately ₹1 lakh at current exchange rates). Today, similar roles are performed in Bangalore by Indian employees for around ₹25,000 to ₹35,000 per month.
A call center is a centralized office designed to handle a large volume of requests via telephone. Inbound call centers manage incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers, while outbound call centers focus on telemarketing, soliciting charitable or political donations, debt collection, and market research.
Call center services also include medical transcription, accounting transactions, legal documentation, geographical mapping, email help desks, and electronic Customer Relationship Management (e-CRM).
Typically, there are three types of jobs in a call center:
1. Response Agents: These individuals handle incoming calls. You should have at least a 12th-grade education or a degree, with a strong command of English or another foreign language, and be self-confident.
2. Supervisors and Operations Managers: For these roles, you generally need 2-3 years of experience in the industry, along with a BBA or MBA.
3. Management: Management positions usually require an MBA or a degree in engineering.
LPO (Legal Process Outsource) and KPO (Knowledge Process Outsource)
For legal process outsourcing jobs, you need to be a law graduate. For medical transcription, a 10+2 education or a science degree is required. Accounting positions typically require a B.Com degree.
In KPO roles, an engineering degree is often necessary, though some basic roles may not require prior experience.
Since these jobs cater to international clients, employees usually work afternoon or night shifts to align with the time zones of their customers. For example, when it is night in India, it is daytime in the USA, and the UK is 5½ hours behind India, while the US is 12 hours behind.
Can you go for it?
To excel in these roles, you need fluency in English, a high level of confidence, excellent telephone manners, and a good accent. Knowledge of an additional foreign language is a significant advantage.
Speaking & Accent
To effectively communicate with customers from different regions, you should be able to adapt your accent. For example, you should sound British to a caller from the UK and American to someone from the United States. In other words, you must speak in a way that makes the caller feel as though they are speaking with a fellow Brit or American. This requires fluency in English, confidence, excellent telephone manners, and some skill in modulating your voice.
Working hours
Many call center jobs cater to international clients, which means you will often need to work afternoon or night shifts to align with the time zones of Europe or the US.
Is there a future in this field?
Some young people take these jobs to save money for further studies, while others appreciate the flexibility that allows them to study and work simultaneously. Many have used this role as a stepping stone to more lucrative positions in fields such as hospitality, retail, insurance, healthcare management, and airlines.
In essence, this job can serve as a gateway to higher-level positions or as a valuable experience in its own right.
Where to Begin
For basic call center jobs, a 10+2 qualification is usually sufficient, however with Digital Services coming into being then BCA is also the need of the Hour.
In Goa – Online and Offline Training
• Aptech Learning Center, Panjim
• SquadStack
• Hero Mindmine
• Udemy
• Alison
Outside Goa
There are over 100 training centers listed at www.callcentersindia.com.
For BPO job inquiries, you can call the toll-free number: 1-800-3000-3003.
Employment Avenues
In Goa:
• Altisource, Merces
• First European Infotech, Verna
• Sanda Wellness, Margao
Big Employers in India:
• Genpact
• WNS Global Services
• Wipro
• Spectromine
Salary Expectations
In Goa:
• Entry-Level Positions: Typically range from ₹8,000 to ₹15,000 per month.
• Call Center Supervisor or Team Leader: ₹18,000 to ₹25,000 per month.
• Managers: Responsible for running the entire office, earning around ₹40,000 to ₹50,000 per month.
Outside Goa:
• Salaries tend to be 30-40% higher than those in Goa.
Don’t settle for just a degree or diploma — enhance your CV by completing online learning programs with certification in areas relevant to your chosen career. This will significantly improve your employment prospects compared to holding only a basic qualification. Additionally, consider boosting your confidence by enrolling in public speaking courses, such as those offered by Toastmasters International.
For government job opportunities, please check: www.employment-newspaper.com
page updated: August 2024